The present invention relates generally to a system and apparatus for checking a telephone communications network from a centralized remote location and more particularly to a system and apparatus for checking telephone communications from a telephone company central office to each of the prefixes and area codes routed by that central office.
Telephone communication networks often require that the carrier verify the routing of the dialed digits of a telephone call. Verification is necessary not only to insure that a call will reach the appropriate destination, but also to ensure proper billing. Improper routing of calls may be caused by translation or wiring errors, depending on the type of office. Verification is necessary for example, before a new central office switch is cut into service either replacing an existing switch or establishing new service. The system must also be verified by the carrier each time a new prefix is established in the system or transferred from one central office to another.
The verification procedure requires that a test call be made to every prefix and area code within the local area telecommunications area (LATA). In a typical LATA this may require over 900 tests calls.
Major projects such as tariff changes or a split in area codes from a single area code to two or more area codes require a tremendous amount of work in all of the central switching offices at the same time. In these cases, calls must be made from each central office to all prefixes, to check correct routing and charging conditions.
Special services provided by the carrier such as Local Public Opinion Polling Services (LPOPS) or public announcement systems (time of day, weather, etc.) also require that the carrier verify the routing of the calls by calling a large number of test numbers.
Presently, tests are performed by assigning a unique test telephone number to each prefix and area code and verifying that the test number can be reached by placing a test call to that number. A telephone responder is connected to the test number such that when the test number is called the responder generates a predetermined verification signal. If it is determined that the correct predetermined verification signal is received when a test number is called then the call is considered to be properly routed. If the correct verification signal is not received when the test number is called then the call is considered to be improperly routed and the error must be identified and corrected.
Typically, the verification or response signals which are generated by the responders are of three types. Analog electronic switching system (ESS) machines have a call-thru test line which responds with several seconds of busy tone followed by a steady tone. Digital ESS machines respond with a tone which has a frequency of 1004 Hz. Finally, electromechanical offices respond with a busy tone, interrupted tone, or a combination of both.
Presently, the mass dialing procedure is implemented using a computer, such as a personal computer, in conjunction with an automatic dialing modem. The computer and automatic dialing modem must be connected to a telephone line served by the central office to be tested. Once this connection has been established a technician instructs the automatic dialing modem to dial the predetermined telephone numbers which are to be tested.
As the test numbers are dialed using the personal computer and the autodialing modem, a technician monitors the signal received from the called responder to confirm that the correct response is received on each call. In view of the large number of tests that must be made to ensure that all of the prefixes and area codes are verified, these tests typically require many human hours. For example, if properly performed, the test calls required for a central office cut-over take one technician a substantial part of an entire shift.
In addition to the amount of hours required, the testing is tedious and boring. The testing is thus subject to operator error. Errors may arise due to inaccurate analyzing and recording of the results. Additionally, if personnel is limited, only a portion of the required tests may be performed.
On the other hand, if the tests are improperly performed or not performed at all because of a shortage of personnel, the errors may be discovered by customers before they are discovered by the carrier, or the carrier may improperly bill the consumer for the services.
The disadvantages of this procedure are obvious. This procedure requires that the carrier spend valuable technician time for this testing operation. To verify the capability of the network to originate a call from a single originating central office to another predetermined central office, a technician must travel to the originating location. It is therefore desirable to provide a system which can be used to originate a call from a central office to any location in the telecommunications network without requiring a technician to physically travel to the central office.
Therefore, in view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a system which automatically tests whether the communication lines from a central office are properly routed to all of the telephone prefixes and area codes in the telecommunications network.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a system which tests proper routing of communication lines of several central offices, each routing to a plurality of telephone numbers having different area codes and prefixes, from a centralized testing location.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a system which has the ability to test communication lines from a plurality of central offices which generate different types of response signals.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a system which can be used to automatically originate a call from a central office to another predetermined central office in the telephone network.